


For Honor, For Love

by EmilliaGryphon



Series: Guardians of the Galaxy One Shots [20]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, gotg
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 11:04:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14692890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilliaGryphon/pseuds/EmilliaGryphon
Summary: A happy birthday fic! My first attempt at (platonic) Roquill





	For Honor, For Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thejollymilano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejollymilano/gifts).



“Get back to the ship!” Yondu’s strangled voice emminated out of the crashing destruction all around them. Rocket’s ears pricked but his gazed looked wildly around the crumbling rocks and desintigrating planet that was Ego. He blinked away the dust, _where the flark is Quill?!_  His heart hammered wildly in his chest as he frantically searched the chaos for the human. _He was just here a second ago….c’mon…Quill!_ He waved a paw in front of his face, trying to clear the debris.

 “Not without Quill!” Rocket shouted over another falling boulder. _Can’t leave him…not after everything I did…_ shame welled within him like an ocean. _Not after all that flarknard has done…for me…_ Given him chance after chance after chance. Everytime Rocket had snapped, every cutting remark, every effort to push Quill and the others away and yet the stupid humie had continued to share his music with him, share his life. It was terrifying, it was everything Rocket hadn’t realized he so desperately needed, longed for. That vulnerability…that was the worst of all. And it had only been this most recent effort of his that had made Quill retract his generosity. _You deserve it._ Rocket had told himself that night in the ravagers cell after Yondu had fallen asleep. _Deserve to be abandoned._ Yet after all that, Quill had met him mid-battle with a plan, (more or less,) and hadn’t given him any grief but to conspire with him on how to rig a bomb. _There’s no flarking way I’m leaving him here…_ Rocket thought, _No matter what._

 “You gotta take care of the twig!” Yondu’s voice echoed. Groot’s small trembling fingers clung to Rocket’s fur. _Gotta protect Groot. Star-boy would never forgive me if I didn’t. I’d never forgive myself._ The blue alien looked up at him, speaking with his eyes. _It was too late for me to be with my boy…to late for me to accept the love and family I’d been given. It’s not too late for you._ Quill’s goofy face flashed through Rocket’s mind, threatening to make him vomit with guilt.

“N…not without you,” Rocket sent his jet-pack forward closer to Yondu, voice cracking.

 “I an’t never done anything good my whole life rat. You gotta give me this.” The planet that was once ego lurched and Rocket sucked in a panicked breath. _No…no…can’t choose between them! Quill or Yondu?!_  His mind searched frantically for some solution, there had to be something he could rig up, he could make an aero rig out of something couldn’t he? _No. No time._ Rocket reached into his belt,

 “A suit and an aero rig, I only got one of each.” He held them out to the blue alien with shaking hands. Yondu took them, effortlessly. _You’re going to save Quill._ Yondu had put what scraps of faith he had left upon Rocket. Faith that the broken, self-destructive raccoonoid would be able to live a life Yondu himself never got to live. Faith that Rocket would somehow accept love. Faith that Rocket would save himself and succeed where Yondu had failed. Now, it was Rocket’s turn to thrust his own trust at the blue alien. _Trust that he would save Quill._  What followed after shooting upwards towards the Milano…leaving without Quill, waiting on a prayer and dumb luck that Yondu would succeed and deliver the humie safe, well it was one of the most gut wrenching few moments of Rocket’s life. Shutting the door of the Milano, _It’s what Quill would have wanted me to do…_ he thought, watching the doors seal, the sound of their clanging closing together was the sound of Rocket’s small heart splintering into another piece.

 But now Peter stood before him, and Yondu…what was left of him drifted off into space. Rocket stood, watching such a splendor he could never imagine.

 “He didn’t chase them away,” he swallowed his pride. “Even though he yelled at them and was always mean.” His head hung in shame, stomach twisting as he felt Peter’s eyes on his back. “…and he stole batteries he didn’t need.”

 “Well of course not,” Peter affirmed. A slow, building sense filled Rocket’s chest, expanding into every inch of his fur. A joy and assurance he never had before. _Love...deserving of love._ Sometimes, Peter’s words imprinted on the raccoonoid’s heart, that thing you’re searching for your entire life is right there in front of you. _A family,_ Rocket had realized, standing there among them. _A family._ He watched the rest of the funeral, the colorful fireworks and starlit dust drifting off endlessly into space as his family stood beside him. Finally one by one, Drax took Groot to bed, Mantis wondered off and Kraglin too.

 “Goodnight,” Gamora whispered to Quill and Rocket took a deep breath as he listened to her steps drift off. Silence, but for the whirling of the engine hung between them.

 "He saved me,” Peter whispered in disbelief. Rocket could only nod as the human stepped closer to him.

 “He was my family…and I never realized it.”

 “Funny how that is,” the raccoonoid managed, looking at Quill. _Such sadness, wounded._

 “You’re a good friend Pete,” Rocket breathed. The human turned to him, perturbed. Under other circumstances Rocket may have laughed.  “And Yondu, tsch. Trust me, he was mighty proud of you.” Peter nodded, those tears still rimming his eyes.

 “Thanks Rocket.” The raccoonoid nodded.

 “I should’ve stole those batteries,” he whispered.

 “I shouldn’t stole a lot of things,” Quill tried to smile. “Rocket?” _Run….say something! Don’t let him say anything…get away!_  The urge to push away love rose it’s ugly head in the raccoonoid’s mind. But flarking Quill with his face all blotched of tears and good intentions put a stop to the impulse for once. His face and Yondu’s words,

  _“Why do you want to save Quill? For Honor? For Love? N_ ot honor. Rocket had been many things in his short life but honorable was NOT one of them.  Honor was over rated, honor was an excuse for dumb people who did dumb things. Love however…love was different. _Yes. For love._

“Yeah?” Quill reached out a hand, o

 “I forgive you.”

 “Yah don’t have to forgive me Quill,” he looked at the empty hand. _Another chance._ Rocket looked up and the humie, someone who’d had to kill his own dad, and then lost another one. Some damn space rogue who fancied himself a fly boy but who was, perhaps just as lost as Rocket was, and even more inconceivable, someone who had been equally as lonely. Before the two of them, along with the rest of the gang had come together. _Love given was the most terrifying thing of all….it was one thing tot learn to love others…letting others love you… that was worse._

 “Doesn’t matter if I have to,” Quill gave that trademark smirk. “I do.” They each sniffed, dissolving into cautious laughter and Rocket reached out his paw, taking Quill’s hand. The human shook it firmly, looking into him as one would an equal. _An equal._ The ship drifted on, the dust of Yonud’s legacy arching behind them. They watched it together for sometime, and Rocket stiffened, feeling warm careful fingers caress his fur between the ears. Quill rhythmically pet him. Rocket allowed himself to exhale, slowly lulled by the comfortable feeling. Together they stood, each mourning but cherishing the small comfort of the friendship of the other.

“You tell anyone about this I’ll blow your face off.” Quill laughed.

 “Tell anyone about this and I’ll turn you into a hat.” They laughed it was the only music each of them needed to hear.


End file.
